Proposed cuts to federal forest grants could stall Grafton Notch project

No matter what you love about Maine’s mountains, forests, and other natural areas, it is sometimes easy to forget we are blessed to have such a wealth of permanently conserved lands to keep Mainers connected to the woods and maintain our state’s unique way of life.

From border to border, Maine has real working forests, places for people to trap, hunt and fish, abundant birds and wildlife, pristine waterways and coastlines, and plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation with our families.

This natural legacy has neither come easily nor come free. Our conserved lands have come as the product of collaboration and investment by government at all levels, private nonprofit organizations and average Mainers who love their home state. We must maintain this collaboration for conservation if Maine is to withstand the incredible development pressure that is coming to bear from all directions.

One consistent source of support for conserving Maine’s landscape over recent decades has been the federal government, including initiatives such as the Forest Legacy Program, which has funded conservation of more than 1.5 million acres of land nationwide. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our congressional delegation and state officials, Maine has secured money from Forest Legacy to permanently conserve land in special places such as the 100 Mile Wilderness, Downeast Lakes, and Mahoosuc Range.

Unfortunately, the Forest Legacy Program started out in trouble this year, when the budget proposed by President Bush included a breathtaking 50 percent cut to the program – offering only $28 million for projects nationwide. That was dismaying, given the short list of top Forest Legacy projects coming forward from the states has exceeded $200 million in recent years.

Maine’s two premier projects in the mix for this year are especially meritorious. Maine’s top project, the Lower Penobscot Forest project outside Bangor, was ultimately ranked second in the nation by the U.S. Forest Service for funding. It is sure to get funded this year, even under the most draconian budget scenario.

Maine’s other top-ranked project is equally important, but faces much greater risk of being lost to funding cuts. The Grafton Notch II -Stowe Mountain project is the second phase of an effort to conserve 8,000 acres of inholdings and buffer lands around Grafton Notch State Park, one of Maine’s true natural and recreational gems.

The project is part of the larger community-led Mahoosuc Initiative that has rallied local citizens to conserve the region’s exceptionally productive working forests and world-class recreation resources, including the most famed stretch of the entire Appalachian Trail through Mahoosuc Notch.

Phase one of the Grafton Notch project was top-ranked in the nation by the U.S. Forest Service for Forest Legacy funding last year, in recognition of its extraordinary value for conserving timber supplies for local producers, proximity to the Appalachian Trail and potential to help complete the Grafton Loop Trail.

Yet somehow the adjacent Grafton Notch II-Stowe Mountain parcel, of equal size and strategic conservation value, slipped to 31 in this year’s U.S. Forest Service ranking. This places the project right on the “cut line” relative to funding levels being discussed by Congress.

Gov. John Baldacci has already written to Maine’s congressional delegation urging funding for Grafton Notch II-Stowe Mountain in this year’s appropriations process, and all four members of the delegation have been persistent in trying to bring this funding home, consistent with their outstanding track record on this issue.

If Grafton Notch II-Stowe Mountain is going to have a chance, it will be up to Sen. Olympia Snowe, Sen. Susan Collins, Rep. Michael Michaud and Rep. Tom Allen to continually remind their colleagues how important Forest Legacy funding is for less affluent states such as Maine.

Each federal matching grant helps to add another important piece to our natural heritage, and significantly leverages the state funding that Maine contributes to conservation through the Land for Maine’s Future Program. All Mainers should hope for our delegation’s success in this effort. The Mahoosuc Range is one of our most unique natural treasures, and ought to be conserved for the benefit and enjoyment of all for years to come.

Jeremy Sheaffer is Maine projects director for The Wilderness Society, based in Hallowell. E-mail him at [email protected] or call 626-5553.